LITTLE Ruari Cottier had been rowed out to hand-deliver a note to the crew of the Ineos boss’s £130million superyacht when it sailed into Oban in May.

OIL tycoon Jim Ratcliffe has stumped up £1000 for a playpark – after the Record told how a six-year-old boy’s plea for help had gone unanswered.

Little Ruari Cottier was rowed out in a dinghy to hand-deliver a note to the crew of the Ineos boss’s £130million superyacht when it sailed into Oban in May.

The Record told last month how Ratcliffe – whose firm run the Grangemouth refinery – had not responded.

And yesterday it emerged that the yacht’s crew had got their wires crossed and had not handed on the message.

Ruari’s mum Liz, who is vice chair of the Friends of Oban Community Playpark, said yesterday: “We have just received a cheque for £1000 from Mr Ratcliffe. This is fantastic news. Ruari is going to write him a thank you note.”

The billionaire’s spokesman said: “Jim Ratcliffe was very impressed to hear about Ruari Cottier’s ingenious efforts to deliver his letter.”

Oban’s main playpark at the Atlantis Leisure Centre was closed in February after being condemned as unsafe.

The Friends are trying every way possible to raise £400,000 for a new playpark.

Formula 1 test driver Susie Wolff – who was born in Oban – has been appointed as their patron.

Lyndsay Elliott, who chairs the group, said: “Without the publicity that we got from the Record’s story, Ruari’s letter would probably have ended up in the recycling bin.

“Everybody saw this posh yacht, and saw Mr Ratcliffe on his private jet at Oban airport.

“So Liz went out to the yacht with her son, with a letter saying, ‘Please donate some money to our cause.’

“We are absolutely delighted with this donation because any money we get goes towards our goal.”